Packet assembly with pre-folded interior material



Aug. 22, 1967 D. J. STEIDINGER PACKET ASSEMBLY WITH PRE-FOLDED INTERIOR MATERIAL Filed Nov. 12, 1965 I 7 75112 OWL/A65 FIEE ' I 1727/ezz for" Java/a Jlf'iezk/z'zyer (fa/vies];

Unitcd States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A continuous envelope assembly including continuous plies defining front and back envelope sheets with insert material therebetween, glue lines and lines of weakening spaced along the assembly to define individual envelopes, the insert material being folded and captivated between marginal edges of the envelope assembly with a tear-01f strip in the captivated marginal edges for opening each envelope and extracting the insert material therefrom.

This invention relates to a new structure of an envelope pre-stutfed with interior information bearing sheets.

There is a considerable volume of mass mailing of similar information to large numbers of people for various purposes. Charitable organizations make periodic mailings to a number of people, either soliciting funds or giving information about their activities. Certain businesses mail printed information to customers, shareholders and others. Ordinarily, the printed copy being mailed is placed on individual sheeets of paper which are then folded and inserted by hand or machine, one at a time, into an envelope. If more than one sheet is inserted, several mechanical or hand stuffing stations may be provided. The envelope is then sealed with the information inside. The stuffed and sealed envelopes each bear the senders return address and a mailing permit so that it is ready to receive an address. The step of addressing the stuffed and sealed envelopes is done in various ways such as by applying labels, heat transfer stenciling, by imprinting, or by typewriting.

In the process of preparing a mailing piece where many thousands of envelopes all contain the same information and are identical except for the name and address of the addressee, the printing of the contained information and the printing of the envelopes are fairly automated. The step of stuffing the printed material into the envelopes is an item of considerable cost. The most economical mechanical stuffing machines presently available may stuff envelopes at a present-day cost of no less than about $4.00 per thousand envelopes. The cost of hiring clerical help to stuff envelopes by hand generally runs upward of $10.00 per thousand pieces. The present invention substantially eliminates the separate stuffing of envelopes and thus is more economical than prior practices, at least by the amount a particular mailing body expended for the stuffing step in preparing a particular mailing. In the present invention, the mailing body is supplied with cut, stuffed, sealed envelopes, each containing all printed matter within the envelope preprinted with the return address and the mailing permit. All the mailing body need do is to affix the name and address of an addressee and deposit the envelope with the United States mails.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a new and improved stuffed, sealed envelope structure.

Another object is to lower the cost of producing a stulfed envelope ready for mailing when addressed.

3,337,120 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 "ice Another object is to produce a novel structure of a stuffed, sealed, cut envelope containing folded sheets hearing desired intelligence.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the envelope assembly of this invention in its last step of manufacture with parts thereof cut away or turned back for clarity of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is -a fragmentary plan view of the insert material during one step of its manufacture with parts of the material turned back for purposes of illustration;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded, enlarged end view of the envelope and contains components in relative position for final assembly; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view through a completed envelope assembly taken substantially along line 4--4 in FIGURE 1 with the parts enlarged, exploded and exaggerated in order to illustrate the structure.

In FIGURE 1, a plurality of individual packets or envelopes 10 are shown series connected between edge lines 12 in continuous form. The top 14 and bottom 14a of the envelope may be part of a web or sheet of stationary drawn from a roll or similar source. The webs are wider than the final envelope in that there is a margin 15 supplied with spaced control punch apertures 16 which may be utilized to accomplish registration of the various components of the assembly. As shown on the left-hand envelope of FIGURE 1, the envelope front may be preprinted with a mailing permit 17 and additional printed instructions 18.

A first insert sheet 21 is provided within the envelope. Sheet 21 may also be supplied from a roll of stationary or a similar source. This sheet has a margin 15a and a marginal edge 15a which is aligned in registry with the marginal edge 15' of margin 15 and may similarly be provided with apertures 16a in alignment with apertures 16. The sheet 21 is folded longitudinally upon itself substantially as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. This fold may be similar to that utilized in folding letter-size stationary with the exception that the sheet is provided with the longitudinally extending projecting margin 24. The folded sheet 21 thus has a first leg 25, an overlying leg 26, and an underlying part 27 which has the projecting margin 24. With more particular reference to FIGURE 3, the envelope assembly may be further provided with a pair of accordion-folded sheets 28 and 29, folded together so as to appear within the envelope as two sheets bearing a single message. Each of these sheets 28 and 29 may be cut sheets or may also be a web drawn from a continuous roll of stationary. In folded condition, each sheet 28 and 29 has a base leg 30 and 31, respectively, in face-to-face contact; intermediate legs 32 and 33, respectively, similarly related; and outer legs 34 and 35, respectively. Each sheet 28 and 29 is also extended along its longitudinal edge beyond the folds similar to sheet 21 to provide projecting margins 36 and 37, respectively, intended for registry and alignment with the projecting margins on the other sheet, as well as that on the envelope top. Margins 36 and 37 may be provided with apertures (not shown) similar to apertures 16a.

If desired, the envelope assembly may further be provided with a lowermost sheet or card web 40 as shown in FIGURE 3. Sheet 40 may be a continuous web of stationary divided into short tickets or cards. The outer mar- 3 ginal edge 41 of the card web aligns with the folded edges of the folded webs above it. The other marginal edge 42 is aligned with the marginal edges of the folded webs and the envelope top web.

All of the webs are die cut as shown in FIGURE 2. A cut is made across the longitudinal extent of the webs, in effect, separating the continuous webs into individual sheet units which will become the individual literature received within each envelope. As shown in FIGURE 2, the die cut extends through the several folds of the folded mate rial well into the marginal portion thereof. For example, the right-hand margin 46 of the cut extends from the outer folded edge 48 of the web across the web toward the margin 15a to a rounded end portion 50 within the margin 15a. The left-hand edge 52 of the cut is parallel to the right-hand edge 46 and spaced from it a sufficient distance to allow the top and bottom of the envelope to be adhered to each other in the space of the cut. The die cut material is removed from the webs of the insert material prior to assembly within the envelopes.

As further shown in FIGURE 2, a perforation line 54 may be placed in the individual strips either separately or in all of them together. There is further illustrated in FIGURE 2 a trim line 56 for removing the margin 15a. This trim line is not present at the time that the die cut is made but is merely shown in FIGURE 2 for the purpose of illustrating that the die cutting passes through the expected location of the line of weakening and the trim line, respectively. The cutting is oriented and timed with the use of the aligning apertures 16 in the margin to properly space the die cuts between each expected envelope unit.

Prior to assembly of the several sheets of material, a line of adhesive or glue 58 is applied to the outwardly projecting marginal portions 24, 36, 37 and 43 of the sheets 21, 28, 29 and 40, respectively, as well as to the opposite outwardly projecting marginal portions of the lower envelope sheet or back 14a. When the components of the assembly are brought together, the envelope top is sealed to the margin of the uppermost insert material; and the envelope bottom is sealed along the extended margin to the underside of the lowermost insert material and on the other margin to the underside of the envelope top. Adhesive is also applied to the bottom sheet 14a of the envelope in spaced crosswise strips 60 so located so as to fall within the space formed by the die cutting when the webs are all brought together. Each individual envelope of the series connected strip is thereby sealed on four sides with insert material inside, caught only in the extended margin portions to one edge of the envelope top and bottom.

The envelopes may then be sent to a trimming and perforating station which trims the margin along the line 56 and applies the line of weakening 54 across the top of the envelope inside of the gluing line 58 relative to the contents of the envelope. The margin 15 is discarded, which leaves the envelopes in a series ready for mailing when separated. Final separation is accomplished by cutting the envelopes apart along edge lines 12, and mid-way in the line of adhesive 60 extending across the assembly so that each envelope on either side of the lines 12 remains sealed at its ends.

For some purposes, it may not be necessary that all sides of the envelope be enclosed. Crosswise glue strips 60 could be eliminated and the envelope would still be partially enclosed by longitudinal glue lines 58 and the interior material would still be securely retained within the envelope. In such a case, the interior plies would not have to be die cut but could be equal in length with the front and back of the envelope.

The final cut along the line 12 provides a series of individual cut envelopes, each of a suitable mailing size ready to receive the name and address of an addressee. This information may be applied to the envelope pursuant to the direction of or by a customer. The process of manufacturing has accomplished everything else in making the envelope and its contents, except for applying the addressees name and address. The envelope 10 is different from the usual mailing piece in that each interior sheet has an extended margin which is adhered between the front and back of the envelope. The recipient of the mailing piece merely has to follow instructions and tear the envelope open along the line of weakening indicated across the top of the envelope. The act of tearing the envelope along this line of weakening opens the envelope and frees the interior sheets so that they may be removed. As far as the recipient is concerned, the interior sheets were of the usual and ordinary form.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A sealed envelope assembly, comprising:

an envelope front sheet and back sheet adhered together marginally closing the interior from the exterior;

at least one interior sheet intermediate said envelope front and back sheets, said sheet having a dimension greater than the envelope pocket and being folded upon itself with at least one fold edge and adjacent margins being spaced inwardly of adjacent adhered margins of the envelope sheets;

said interior sheet having an extended portion opposite said one fold edge adhered to the front and back sheets of the envelope;

and a weakening perforation across the envelope sheets and interior sheets adjacent the adhered margin for removing the adhered margin, opening the envelope and releasing the interior sheet from the envelope simultaneously with such removal.

2. A sealed envelope assembly, comprising:

an envelope front sheet;

an envelope back sheet, said sheets being superposed with aligned marginal edges in registry and adhesively joined against entrance to the envelope without mutilating at least one of the sheets;

a plurality of interior sheets between said front and back sheets, each having one extended margin adhesively secured between said front and back sheets at one of said marginal edges;

at least one of said interior sheets having a dimension laterally of said one marginal edge greater than the lateral dimension of said envelope measured in the same direction, said one sheet being folded upon itself within the envelope space between said adhesively secured marginal edges;

and a line of weakening across the envelope passing through all said sheets inside the adhesively secured one marginal edge for use in opening the envelope and releasing the interior sheets.

3. A sealed envelope as specified in claim 2 wherein said interior sheets include at least two sheets folded together, each with a margin extending beyond the folded portion of the sheets and adhesive means joining said extended margins together.

4. A sealed envelope as specified in claim 2 wherein said interior sheets include a plurality of sheets, each having an extended margin in registry with the extended margin of each other, such interior sheet with adhesive means securing each adjacent two sheets together in such margin and to the front and back sheets of said envelope.

5. A sealed envelope assembly, comprising:

an envelope front sheet and back sheet adhered together along at least two marginal edges;

at least one interior sheet intermediate said envelope front and back sheets, said sheet having a dimension greater than the envelope pocket and being folded upon itself with a fold edge spaced inwardly of an adjacent adhered margin of the envelope sheet, said interior sheet having an extended portion opposite said fold edge adhered to the front and back sheets of the envelope along another adhered margin;

and a weakening perforation across the envelope sheets and the extended portion of the interior sheets adjacent the adhered margin for removing the adhered margin, opening the envelope and releasing the interior sheet from the envelope simultaneously with such removal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1939 Wanser 229-69 9/1963 Steidinger 229-69 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,337,120 August 22, 1967 Donald J. Steidinger It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the heading to the printed specification, lines 4 and 5, for "Varco Incorporated" read Uarco Incorporated Signed and sealed this 20th day of August 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A SEALED ENVELOPE ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING: AN ENVELOPE FRONT SHEET AND BACK SHEET ADHERED TOGETHER MARGINALLY CLOSING THE INTERIOR FROM THE EXTERIOR; AT LEAST ONE INTERIOR SHEET INTERMEDIATE SAID ENVELOPE FRONT AND BACK SHEETS, SAID SHEET HAVING A DIMENSION GREATER THAN THE ENVELOPE POCKET AND BEING FOLDED UPON ITSELF WITH AT LEAST ONE FOLD EDGE AND ADJACENT MARGINS BEING SPACED INWARDLY OF ADJACENT ADHERED MARGINS OF THE ENVELOPE SHEETS; SAID INTERIOR SHEET HAVING AN EXTENDED PORTION OPPOSITE SAID ONE FOLD EDGE ADHERED TO THE FRONT AND BACK SHEETS OF THE ENVELOPE; AND A WEAKENING PERFORATION ACROSS THE ENVELOPE SHEETS AND INTERIOR SHEETS ADJACENT THE ADHERED MARGIN FOR REMOVING THE ADHERED MARGIN, OPENING THE ENVELOPE AND RELEASING THE INTERIOR SHEET FROM THE ENVELOPE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH SUCH REMOVAL. 